In my view, the best times in life are those spent with family, enjoying nature, and pursuing adventures.While accomplishments at work can be satisfying, time outside of work is where we find the joys of existence!
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I want to share this beautiful poem about prayer by the Native American poet, Joy Harjo. It was not titled by the poet.
To pray you open your whole self To sky, to earth, to sun, to moon To one whole voice that is you And know that there is more That you can’t see, can’t hear Can’t know except in moments Steadily growing, and in languages That aren’t always a sound but other Circles of motion Like eagle that Sunday morning Over Salt River. Circled in blue sky In wind, swept our hearts clean With sacred wings. We see you, see ourselves and know That we must take the utmost care And kindness in all things. Breathe in, knowing we are made of All this, and breathe, knowing We are truly blessed because we Were born, and die soon within a True circle of motion, Like eagle rounding out the morning Inside us. We pray that it will be done In beauty. In beauty.
Cause and effect applies not only to our interactions and treatment of people. It also applies to our actions concerning the natural environment and the planet as a whole.
As citizens of Earth, we have an obligation to not only care for one another, but also for all living things. We should view ourselves as stewards of the Earth, all of its inhabitants, and its physical and ecological environs.
We will be held accountable for our actions that result in, or contribute to, the destruction of habitats, extinction of animal and plant species, pollution, and climate change. Retribution for our past abuses of the planet have already begun.
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The forces of cause and effect operate not only in response to behaviors, things we do or do not do, but also to the nature of our thoughts. If our thoughts are filled with love and compassion, then good things will come to us. If our minds are filled with anger, hate, or malice, then we will not have happiness and fulfillment, and spiritual retribution is sure to come.
But more generally, faith in the spiritual forces and challenges that shape our lives in ways that lead us to greater love, compassion, and spiritual awareness.
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In my view, spirituality and religion are related, but not the same thing. Religion has arisen in an attempt to codify spiritual thought and ideas by the establishment of doctrines, creeds, stories, and other traditions – and to make it “experiential” through ritual and repetitive prayers.
But these things can distract us from the organic spirituality present in all of us. They can distract us from the spontaneous human experience of our spiritual nature and longing.
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Prayer will be heard with greatest effect when it comes spontaneously from the heart and soul expressing in your own words your desire to help others or to become a more spiritual person.
Do not pray for material things because God has already provided what you need. Do not pray for elevation of your earthly status, for it counts for nothing in the spiritual realm. Rather, pray for elevation of your soul through your expression of love, compassion, and service.
You might like to see the discussion of prayer that appears on pages 76-81 in The Teachings of Silver Birch, edited by A.W. Austin.
Perhaps we all wonder at one time or another why there is so much pain and suffering. Why is life so difficult at times? Why do “bad” things happen to good people? And many other perplexing questions.
We have to accept that there are some things that we are not meant to know or that our current level of spiritual awareness precludes understanding. I believe in the old adage: “Everything happens for a reason.” This is a statement of faith in spiritual processes aimed at fostering our spiritual development.
It’s important to remember that understanding what is beneficial or harmful to our spiritual development requires a view from the perspective of eternity to which we are not privy. Something thought to be “bad” now, may in fact, be good for our development in the flow of eternity. After all, we tend to become stronger, more spiritually enlightened, and to learn lessons best from adversity.
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